Travel and Lifestyle Blog

Moving Abroad: How I Did It and Why You Can Too

There has been a lot of chit chat lately, especially after the recent elections, about people jokingly moving to another country. This, often times, is something that seems so far out of reach and not something most people actually pursue, unless they are moving for work or the military. Well believe it not, there is quite an impressive amount of expats living all over the world because they choose to.

In fact, being an expat in a major European city, like Rome, is not un-common. Expats make up about 6% of the total Italian population. Although, don’t confuse expat with the term immigrant, which is very different than an expat, and took me a while to realize. Although this is a debatable topic. Read more about this here.

I wanted to make this video because over the course of the last 5 months that I have been living in Italy, there have been questions from others about my relocation here. In this video, I explain why I left the United States, how I work in Italy, my understanding of the Italian language, the community, the culture, and more. My goal is to help and encourage anyone that has a dream of living abroad to make it happen. I never thought it was possible for me, but if I can do it, you can too!

Leaving your home country is quite a big decision in life, even if it’s just for a little while. Make sure to take your time on deciding where you want to go. After all, the world is huge and there are so many beautiful destinations to choose from all over the globe.

Italy is a great place to call home. It’s the land of Slow Living. It’s also a land full of contradictions but if you get past that then you are going to enjoy the ride. Welcome to beautiful Rome 🙂http://www.ciaoecolifestyle.com

Thank you Susie, I 100% agree and I love that you promote the Slow Living lifestyle so much because I am all about it as one of my favorite things about Europe is the more relaxed lifestyle. Would love to grab a cub of coffee with you this week if your available!

I love how articulate you are and thank you for making a video about your experience. I think living and working abroad is a dream for many these days and this video will definitely help anyone who wants to do so.

Thank you for watching Shireen and hope I am able to inspire and show others how it’s possible if you really want it. We shouldn’t limit ourselves to just me comfortable where we are but always strive to progress and get out of your comfort zone a little bit

Great story! But now I feel confused, I don’t know if I can call myself an expat or immigrant)). I have left my home, Ukraine, for living in Norway. I guess, an immigrant)) And my dream home is Barcelona, Spain. Italy sounds good, but such a contrast after USA, I guess. How is it going for you?

The more and more I read about the differences between an expat and immigrant the more confused I am myself. Living in Italy is great some days, and lonely the next. I don’t know that living abroad is for me long term but it’s an experience and something I have no regrets doing. Why did you decide to move to Norway?

Take your time and you will figure it out! You always have freedom to come back, right? Or did you come to stay? As many Ukrainians, I was looking for opportunities and better life, and Norway has both 🙂 I came as au-pair, in hope of study and work, and I did it both. After 10 years in Norway I feel at last more safe, as I got my permanent residence permit. The downside is that for me leaving Ukraine meant I will never come back. So I just make myself at home in Oslo))) Hope, you will make your home where you go.

Thank you, the move coming to Italy is not permanent. We are looking forward to heading back home this summer and we are un-sure whether we will be back to live in Italy yet or not. Good for you! It’s not easy leaving your home country and making yourself a permanent resident in another one. My parents immigrated to the states 30 years ago for the same reasons, to pursue a better life. Thank you for reading and hope your home is everything you want it to be 🙂

Thank you for kind words! I have discovered that we can create our homes wherever we are, and I can say that I managed that, though it took some time. Interesting that your parents did the move too. Were they from Italy? 🙂
It is great that you can choose, it gives a sense of freedom. last year I read a book about a lady who moved from the States to Venice, it was so interesting. The cultures are so different, and it makes the whole project quite hilarious. I hope, you will see it that way 🙂 Good luck to you!

Yes, the wonderful thing about our freedom is the choice to choose where we want to live. My parents are actually from El Salvador in Central America. They left home, which was and still is one of the most dangerous places in the world. I don’t have any ties to Italy, no family or work. I simply chose to come here because I really like the Italian culture and living in another country. It gives me a sense of adventure. The book sounds amazing, what was the name of it?

I can imagine the hard times they went through. My friend’s parents are always from El Salvador, and she was telling me about things happening there. The book is by Marlena de Blasi “a thousand days in Venice” (followed by “a thousand days in Tuscany”). I enjoyed it so much! and when you buy a book on Amazon, it gives you always a list of new books, so it made me believe that Americans are particularly fond of Italy)) I wonder why. I am fond of Spain <3, but Italy is also dear to me.

I am jotting that book down because I would love to check it out. Yes, I don’t know why that is either lol. I am sure many other countries nearby are just as beautiful as Italy, but because we are crazy about Italian food in America, maybe that’s why. Anyhow, I do love Spain too. Just visited there for the first time last year, and can’t wait to go back.

Do read, the one about Venice was such a pleasure! The second one goes slower with me)) And now Amazon gave me so many more options, hehe))) I wonder if there are books like this about Spain)). At least, my passion was Spain since I was 15. Where in Spain have you been?

Oh, good choice! Barcelona was my first city here too, and then I had to discover that it is more about Catalonia here, and less about Spain))) My boyfriend is from Bcn, so the city became very special to me now. Though my passionate love is for Andalusia, as it is more “typical” Spain, with flamenco, white villages and beautiful andaluzes))) But now I share my love between Andalusia and Catalonia. Hope to share my passion here))

So many places to visit in Spain I feel like I barely know her! Isn’t Andalusia the place where the story “The Alchemist” took place? It sounds very familiar. Do you speak Spanish then? Although the language there is more dominantly Catalan than Spanish..

I don’t remember about “Alchemist”, read it too many years ago))) but it can be, bc the place is just magical. If you have a chance, come to Malaga, Granada or Seville. You will not regret 😉
I took summer course of Spanish in Malaga, and I do speak it. Though my grammar is very poor))) in Bcn the family speaks Catalan, and I start to understand more of it. But one can survive with Spanish here 😉

Yes of course. Even, I, who speaks Spanish fluently had some hard time to understanding their Catalan since it’s completely different than the Spanish I am used to. I hope to visit those places one day soon!

I know! It is not like Castellano, it looks like mix of Spanish, Italian and French. Though I don’t speak those, but some words you know, make a connection, like “parlar”))) It is by practice I start to understand it 🙂 just Spanish would not help me😆
you will for sure go all the places you wish!

Yes, it is definitely a mix of all the languages in western europe lol. It sounds nice but most of it I can’t really understand. Thank goodness those languages all have a Latin base so makes it easier to understand.

Yeah, after the States it must look a messy mix)) Even one language can have so many dialects, that makes it difficult to understand. This is what I love about Europe: so many cultures tight to each other, and so different ones though close! Good for you to have that Latin base 😉